Over 

Mohawk    frail 


:  California 

Regional 

Facility 


COPYRIGHT,  1920 

BY  MRS.  F.  B.  CALDWELL 

EAST  NORTHFIKLD 

MASS. 


UCSB   LIBRARY 

Y- 


OVER 

MOHAWK  TRAIL 


PRICE,  THIRTY- FIVE  CENTS 


PUBLISHED  BY 

MRS.   F.   B.   CALDWELL 

EAST  NORTHFIELD,  MASS. 


'WlTH    SrNSHINE    AND    SHADOW,    GLORY    AND    Gl.OOM" 


"Over  Mohawk  Trail" 

Brings  to  one  a  thrill  of  delightful  anticipation. 
A  picture  comes  to  us  of  the  red  man  noiselessly 
passing  through  the  beauties  of  secluded  nature. 

The  early  history  of  Northfield  abounds  with 
stories,  traditional  and  authentic,  of  the  Indians  who 
dwelt  in  several  bands  in  this  part  of  the  valley  of 
the  Connecticut.  Lying  along  this  fertile  valley,  pro- 
tected east  and  west  by  the  Franklin  Hills,  the 
Indians  found  all  things  necessary  for  their  primitive 
life.  These  same  hills  later  became  their  watch- 
towers  where  they  observed  the  movements  of  the 
settlers  and  planned  their  disastrous  attacks. 

Northfield  owes  a  large  part  of  its  prosperity  to 
the  fact  that  it  is  the  birthplace  of  and  the  home  of 
Dwight  L.  Moody,  the  world-famous  evangelist. 
Here  he  built  up  Northfield  Seminary  for  girls,  a 
preparatory  school  of  high  rank.  Much  of  East 
Xorthfield  is  a  memorial  to  his  life  and  work.  He 
established  the  Northfield  Summer  Conferences,  which 
are  attended  by  thousands  of  people  each  year  from 
all  parts  of  the  world,  who  seek  here  religious 
instruction  and  inspiration. 

We  start  our  trip  at 

EAST  NORTHFIELD 

44  Miles  from  the  Trail  Summit 

Northfield  was  called  Squakheag  by  the  Indians, 
as  this  was  the  name  of  the  tribe  which  lived  in  this 
region.  They  were  a  branch  of  the  Pacomptock 
Indians  of  the  Deerfield  Valley  and  warred  with 
the  Mohawks  bevond  the  Hoosac  Mountains. 


The  first  settlers  came  here  in  1671  from  North- 
ampton, and  bought  land  of  six  chiefs  living  in  this 
vicinity.  In  four  years  the  settlers  were  assaulted 
by  the  Indians,  some  were  killed  and  their  homes  de- 
stroyed, while  the  remnant  escaped  to  Hadley  and 
Northampton.  A  second  settlement  was  made  in  1685 
but  was  abandoned  after  five  years,  on  account  of  the 
enmity  of  the  Squakheags.  The  permanent  settlement 
was  made  in  1714,  the  land  being  bought  of  the 
Squakheags,  who  were  given  deeds.  Descendants  of 
these  settlers  still  live  in  Northfield:  Wrights,  Fields, 
Janes,  Alexanders,  Merrimans,  Holtons  and  Doolit- 
tles. 

Leaving  East  Northfield,  notice  a  tablet  on  the 
ledge  in  front  of  the  Congregational  Church  which 
marks  the  place  where  one  settler  was  killed  by 
Indians. 

Cross  Mill  Brook,  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  at  the 
right  is  a  boulder  marking  the  site  of  a  fort  built 
by  the  settlers  in  1686  and  rebuilt  in  1722. 

Look  far  down  the  vista  of  street  overhung  by 
elms,  which  add  so  essentially  to  the  comfort  and 
beauty  of  the  town.  This  street  is  said  to  rival 
any  in  the  state  for  natural  beauty.  These  trees  were 
planted  in  1813  to  1815  by  Thomas  Powers,  Esq.,  a 
resident. 

Dickinson  Memorial  Library  on  the  left  was  the 
gift  of  Elijah  M.  Dickinson  of  Fitchburg,  in  memory 
of  his  ancestors.  On  this  site  Nathaniel  Dickinson, 
one  of  the  first  settlers,  built  a  house  in  1728.  which 
was  soon  made  into  a  fort.  He  was  killed  and  scalped 
by  the  Indians.  The  donor  of  the  library  was  his 
great-grandson.  There  are  interesting  collections  on 
the  second  floor. 

The  large  three-story  building  on  the  left  was  for- 
merly Northfield  Academy  of  Useful  Knowledge, 
opened  in  1829,  which  took  high  rank  as  a  classical 
institution  for  many  years.  Previous  to  that  date 
it  was  Hunt's  Hotel. 


The  first  house  on  the  right  beyond  the  Unitarian 
Church  was  the  home  for  several  years  of  Ira  D. 
Sankey,  "the  sweet  gospel  singer,"  who  was  asso- 
ciated with  I).  L.  Moody. 

Farther  south  on  the  right  is  another  boulder  mark- 
ing the  site  of  another  fort,  located  on  the  lot  of 
Stephen  fielding.  Here  enclosed  by  a  stockade  the 
first  settlement  of  the  town  was  made  in  1673.  Nine 
rods  west  a  fort  was  built  in  1685,  and  rebuilt  in 
1722.  Eight  rods  southeast  stood  Council  Rock. 
These  forts  guarded  the  town  north  and  south  from 
sudden  attacks  from  the  Indians. 

The  boulder  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  street  on 
the  left  marks  the  place  where,  until  1869,  stood  a 
clump  of  oaks.  Under  these  trees,  in  1673,  the  first 
religious  service  was  held,  conducted  by  Elder  Jones. 

We  cross  Bennett's  Meadow  bridge,  built  in  1901. 
Previous  to  that  date  the  river  was  crossed  by  a  ferry 
just  a  few  feet  south  of  the  present  bridge. 

King  Philip's  Hill  is  just  across  the  bridge  on  the 
right.  A  lane  leads  to  the  crest  of  the  hill  where 
is  the  stump  of  King  Philip's  Tree.  In  1675  King 
Philip  and  his  warriors  spent  several  months  here  on 
their  way  to  encounter  the  Mohawks. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Connecticut  Valley  were, 
for  124  years,  exposed  to  dangers,  fears,  toils  and 
trials  of  Indian  wars  and  border  deportations.  Chil- 
dren were  born,  grew  to  manhood,  descended  to  old 
age,  knowing  nothing  of  peace.  Hundreds  were 
killed  and  large  numbers  carried  into  captivity. 

Just  beyond  the  crest  of  the  next  hill  we  pass  the 
gateway  of  Mount  Hermon  School.  The  driveway 
through  the  pines  opens  on  an  extensive  campus  on 
high,  sloping  ground,  commanding  a  broad  view  of 
river,  valley  and  mountains.  The  school  was  estab- 
lished by  Uwight  L.  Moody  in  1881.  The  first  con- 
tributions for  the  school  were  from  his  friends  in 
England  and  America.  The  school  is  for  young  men 
of  sound  bodies,  good  minds  and  high  aims.  It  is 


designed  for  those  who  are  in  earnest  to  secure  a 
good  education  and  who  desire  to  know  more  of  the 
Bible. 

The  equipment  of  the  school  for  its  work  is  of 
the  best.  Its  many  large,  beautiful  and  well-kept 
buildings  testify  to  its  high  reputation  as  a  prepara- 
tory school. 

We  cross  the  little  Fall  River  into 

BERNARDSTON 

37  Miles  from  the  Trail  Summit 

This  quiet  town  is  situated  between  Fall  River 
and  the  Connecticut  River.  It  is  primarily  an  agri- 
cultural town. 

The  territory  was  first  granted  to  heirs  of  some  of 
the  men  engaged  in  the  Falls  Fight,  which  took  place 
at  Turners  Falls  in  1676,  and  for  many  years  it  was 
called  Fall  Town.  It  was  incorporated  as  a  town  in 
1766  and  renamed  Bernardston  in  honor  of  Gover- 
nor Bernard.  The  first  four  houses  were  built  of 
hewn  logs  with  portholes  in  the  walls  as  a  safeguard 
against  Indian  attacks.  This  settlement,  though  in 
constant  fear  of  the  Indians,  suffered  little. 

Powers  Institute  in  the  center  of  the  village  was 
founded  in  1857  by  Edward  Epps  Powers,  a  former 
resident  of  the  town. 

One  of  the  foremost  men  of  Bernardston  was 
Henry  W.  Cushman,  who  served  in  offices  in  state, 
county  and  town.  Cushman  Library  on  the  right  on 
Main  Street  was  founded  by  him  in  1862. 

As  we  draw  near  Greenfield,  on  the  left  is  a  long 
rocky  ridge,  927  feet  in  height.  A  stone  observatory 
is  here,  called  Poet's  Seat,  named  in  honor  of  Fred- 
erick Tuckerman,  a  local  bard,  who  frequently  sought 
the  quiet  and  grandeur  of  the  place.  The  southern 
end  of  this  rocky  cliff,  tradition  says,  is  the  place 
where  King  Philip  watched  the  movements  of  his 
enemies. 


Along  Federal  Street  we  approach 

GREENFIELD 

30  Miles  from  the  Trail  Summit 

At  Greenfield,  standing  in  the  beautiful  Deerfield 
Valley,  at  the  crossroads  of  the  main  thoroughfares, 
leading  north  and  south  and  east  and  west,  we  find 
the  eastern  terminus  of  the  Mohawk  Trail.  It  is  an 
attractive  town  with  quiet  shaded  streets,  giving  a 
touch  of  the  New  England  of  the  past  and  yet  respon- 
sive to  the  spirit  of  modern  New  England,  as  evi- 
denced in  its  thriving  industries  and  social  activities. 
Near  by  is  the  mother  town  of  Old  Deerfield,  the 
typical  New  England  village,  with  its  stirring  history 
of  brave  pioneers  and  of  Indian  sack  and  pillage. 

This  enterprising  village  is  the  county  seat  of 
Franklin  County  and  has  a  population  of  about 
15,000.  In  the  last  fifteen  years  it  has  doubled  its 
population.  Greenfield  is  the  home  of  the  largest  tap 
and  die  manufactory  in  the  world.  This  corporation, 
and  The  Goodell-Pratt  Company,  are  the  leading 
toolmakers  to-day.  Cutlery  and  pocketbooks  are 
other  manufactures. 

Greenfield  trade  dates  from  1722,  when  the  Locks 
and  Canals  Company  started  a  landing  place  here, 
just  above  the  mouth  of  the  Deerfield  River.  The 
flat-bottom  boats  from  Hartford  were  poled  up,  laden 
with  East  India  goods  to  be  exchanged  for  lumber 
and  farm  products,  and  so  East  met  West  in  this 
settlement.  The  town  thus  became  a  commercial 
center,  as  it  is  to-day. 

Leaving  Federal  Street,  we  turn  left  onto  Main 
Street,  facing  the  Common  and  the  business  section 
of  Greenfield.  The  town  has  the  usual  complement 
of  churches,  schools,  county  buildings,  a  well- 
equipped  hospital,  two  libraries,  State  Armory,  golf 
club  and  public  parks. 


Nathaniel  Brooks  was  the  first  settler  here  in  1686, 
when  it  was  a  part  of  Deerfield,  and  was  called  the 
Green  River  Settlement.  It  was  incorporated  as 
Greenfield  in  1753.  From  its  earliest  days  the  town 
was  in  a  territory  that  was  harassed  by  the  Indians. 
As  it  was  near  the  junction  of  the  Green,  Deerfield 
and  Connecticut  Rivers,  which  abounded  in  shad  and 
salmon,  and  as  the  meadows  and  hills  abounded  in 
game,  this  was  the  "Happy  Hunting  Ground"  for 
the  red  man  before  his  death  came.  In  1675  Captain 
William  Turner,  with  141  men,  attacked  and  de- 
stroyed a  settlement  of  several  hundred  Indians  near 
the  northeast  corner  of  this  town.  A  monument 
marks  the  spot. 

This  has  been  the  home  of  several  men  of  influence 
in  state  and  national  affairs:  John  A.  Aiken,  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Massachusetts  Supreme  Court,  has  a 
fine  residence  on  Gun  House  Hill ;  General  Devens 
of  Civil  War  fame,  after  whom  Camp  Devens  was 
named,  spent  his  early  manhood  here ;  Admiral  Clark 
of  the  battleship  Oregon  is  a  member  of  the  Green- 
field Club  and  spends  much  time  here.  Dana  Malone 
served  the  state  as  attorney-general  several  years. 
The  early  settlers  were  Smeads,  Grinnells,  Hinsdales, 
Nashes.  Aikens,  and  numerous  descendants  of  them 
still  live  here. 

Leaving  the  busy  shaded  street  of  Greenfield,  we 
cross  Green  River  and  soon  begin  the  ascent  of  Shel- 
burne  Mountain.  Two  highways  open  near  the  foot 
of  the  mountain,  the  road  to  the  left  following  a 
brook,  winding  in  and  out  up  heavily  wooded 
stretches,  and  then  into  the  open,  giving  glimpses 
of  the  distant  hills  and  valleys. 

The  road  to  the  right,  which  is  to  be  completed 
in  September  of  this  year  (1920),  is  to  be  one  of  the 
best  ever  constructed  in  Massachusetts.  It  is  of 
cement  concrete  and  no  grade  is  greater  than  six 
per  cent,  or  one  per  cent  less  than  the  steepest  grade 
on  the  Mohawk  Trail.  The  road  is  five  and  one-eighth 

9 


miles  long  and  three  miles  of  this  is  of  new  con- 
struction. It  begins  on  Shelburne  Street  and  swings 
to  the  north,  following  an  easy  grade  around  Shel- 
burne Mountain.  The  distance  to  Shelburne  Falls  is 
one  and  one-half  miles  longer,  but  the  grade  is  so 
much  easier  and  safer  that  it  compensates.  This 
road  has  many  scenic  beauties  and  links  up  well  with 
the  famous  sightliness  of  the  Mohawk  Trail.  The 
contract  for  the  road  was  awarded  by  the  State  High- 
way Commission  to  Coleman  Brothers  of  Boston,  at 
a  cost  of  $253,808.15. 

Before  we  reach  Shelburne  we  notice  on  the  left 
extensive  farm  buildings  and  across  the  road  on  the 
right,  on  the  hillside,  a  large,  attractive  residence. 
This  property  is  owned  by  James  Bush,  who  lived 
for  many  years  in  South  America,  where  he  made 
a  fortune. 

We  how  come  to  the  quiet  hamlet  of 

SHELBURNE 

25  Miles  from  the  Trail  Summit 

Shelburne  was  formerly  a  part  of  Deerfield  and 
called  "Deerfield  Pasture,"  and  also  "Deerfield 
Northwest."  It  was  incorporated  as  a  town  in  1769 
and  named  for  the  second  Earl  of  Shelburne.  who 
was  at  the  head  of  the  ministry  in  England  at  the 
time  of  the  American  Revolution. 

A  mile  beyond  the  village  we  come  to  a  cemetery 
where  is  buried  Fidelia  Fiske,  a  native  of  the  town 
and  for  many  years  a  missionary  in  Oroomiah. 
Persia. 

A  little  farther  on  is  the  road  that  leads  to  Mount 
Massaemet,  1,690  feet  in  height.  On  its  summit  is 
a  stone  tower  sixty-four  feet  high,  which  is  a  forestry 
observatory  and  fire  lookout.  From  the  summit  one 
has  a  beautiful  view  of  the  surrounding  country  in 
five  states. 

10 


We  enter 

SHELBURNE  FALLS 

21   Miles  from  the  Trail  Summit 

Town  of  Tumbling  Waters,  as  called  by  the  Indians, 
was  incorporated  in  1768.  It  is  situated  on  the  Deer- 
field  River  and  the  three  falls  in  Shelburne  township 
aggregate  1 50  feet.  They  were  first  known  as  Sal- 
mon Falls  from  the  quantities  of  salmon  which  col- 
lected in  the  spawning  season  in  the  pools  below  the 
falls.  Here  were  the  old  fishing  grounds  of  the 
Pacomptock  Indians.  On  the  spot  where  the  red  man 
stood  to  spear  the  leaping  salmon,  modern  man  has 
harnessed  the  rushing  waters,  and  this  is  now  the 
home  of  one  of  the  greatest  electrical  developments 
in  New  England. 

This  town  is  the  center  of  the  hydro-electric  plants 
of  the  New  England  Power  Company.  Their  sepa- 
rate developments  take  the  water  from  the  Deerfield 
River  at  five  levels  from  plants  being  situated  in  or 
near  the  town,  with  a  total  installed  capacity  of 
40.000  kilowatts.  Power  from  the  stations  operates 
trains  through  the  Hoosac  Tunnel  and  is  carried  over 
high  tension  transmission  lines  as  far  east  as  Fitch- 
burg,  Worcester  and  Providence,  also  west  to  Pitts- 
field  and  Bennington. 

Cutlery,  cotton  and  tools  are  made  here.  Yale 
locks  were  first  made  here  by  Linus  Yale,  the 
inventor,  before  the  plant  was  moved  to  Stamford, 
Connecticut. 

This  was  the  former  home  of  Henry  Clay  Payne, 
who  was  postmaster-general  under  Theodore  Roose- 
velt. He  lived  in  the  long  colonial  house  on  the  right 
in  the  center  of  the  village,  just  beyond  Pratt  Library. 
He  graduated  in  1859  from  Franklin  Institute,  which 
is  the  three-story  brick  building  on  the  right  on  Main 
Street. 

11 


From  Shelburne  Falls  the  Trail  follows  the  wind- 
ing Deerfield  River,  now  peaceful,  now  broken  by 
rapids.  One  is  reminded  of  Southey's  "Cataract  of 
Lodore": 

"Eddying  and  whisking, 
Spouting  and  frisking, 
Around  and  around 
With  endless  rebound ; 
Smiting  and  fighting, 
A  sight  to  delight  in ; 
Confounding,  astounding, 
Dizzying  and  deafening  the  ear  with  its  sound." 

Across  the  river  lies  Buckland,  the  native  town  of 
Mary  Lyon,  the  founder  of  Hount  Holyoke  College. 

The  rock  maple  is  noticeable  for  many  miles  along 
the  road  as  we  follow  the  river.  We  appreciate  their 
shsde  and  muse  on  the  quantities  of  maple  sugar 
they  furnish  each  spring.  We  came  to  a  long  colo- 
nial house  on  the  right,  close  to  the  road,  and  overrun 
with  vines.  This  is  Hall's  Tavern  in  East  Charle- 
mont,  for  many  years  one  of  those  hospitable  inns 
where  the  stagecoaches  made  their  daily  or  weekly 
stops  on  this  thoroughfare  from  Boston.  It  is  now 
a  summer  residence. 

The  valley  widens  and  we  enter 

GHARLEMONT 

13  Miles  from  the  Trail  Summit 

This  is  a  thrifty  village  of  about  1,000  people. 
The  first  settlers  were  Scotch-Irish,  coming  from 
County  Ormah  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  where  Lord 
Charlemont  was  the  great  landowner,  and  distin- 
guished in  war  and  statesmanship.  The  town  derives 
its  name  from  the  peerage  of  Charlemont. 

The  town  was  incorporated  in  1765.  The  first 
settler  was  Moses  Rice,  who  came  here  from  Rut- 

13 


land,  Massachusetts,  in  1743,  being  the  first  white 
settler  between  Deerfield  and  the  Hoosac  Valley.  We 
find  it  hard  to  realize,  when  we  see  the  beauty  and 
industry  that  characterizes  Charlemont,  that  Captain 
Rice's  home  once  stood  on  the  extreme  frontier  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  Colony. 

In  the  early  days  the  settlers  were  in  constant  fear 
of  the  Indians  and  each  house  was  fortified.  One  day 
when  Captain  Rice  and  several  others  went  to  the 
meadows,  lying  along  the  river,  to  hoe  corn,  a  lurking 
band  of  five  or  six  Indians,  observing  them  from  the 
hills  above,  crept  cautiously  down  Rice's  Brook,  con- 
cealed by  the  bushes  on  the  banks,  and  fired  upon  the 
unsuspecting  toilers.  Captain  Rice  was  shot  and 
scalped,  another  killed  and  two  were  captured  and 
taken  to  Canada. 

The  town  is  built  on  a  terrace  north  of  the  Deer- 
field  River  with  Peak  Mountain  southwest  and  Bald 
Mountain  northeast.  In  Colonial  days  it  was  a  forti- 
fied town  and  five  miles  up  Mill  Brook,  which  here 
empties  into  the  Deerfield  River,  is  Fort  Shirley,  at 
Heath,  one  of  a  chain  of  forts  guarding  the  Trail  be- 
tween the  Connecticut  River  and  the  Hoosac  Valley. 

Charlemont  was  the  former  home  of  Kate  Upson 
Clark,  the  writer  of  stories  and  contributor  of  articles 
to  magazines  and  religious  weeklies.  She  is  the 
author  of  "Bringing  Up  Boys,"  "Art  and  Citizen- 
ship," and  other  books. 

Here  also  Charles  Dudley  Warner  spent  his  boy- 
hood. The  house  where  he  was  born  is  at  the  west 
end  of  the  village  on  the  right.  At  the  driveway  is 
an  old  buttonwood  tree,  and  under  this  tree  is  where 
Captain  Rice  slept  the  first  night.  This  is  also  the 
site  of  the  first  Rice  homestead.  In  Warner's  book. 
"Being  a  Boy,"  he  brings  in  much  of  the  local  color 
of  his  home  town. 

At  the  rear  of  the  Rice  buildings  is  a  monument 
marking  the  burial  place  of  Captain  Rice  and  his 
companions. 

14 


Charlemont  Inn,  near  the  center  of  the  village,  is 
very  interesting.  The  office  and  parlors  are  the 
historical  rooms  of  the  town.  Here  we  may  see 
antique  furniture,  historical  souvenirs,  and  on  the 
walls  hang  pictures  and  documents  relating  to  Lord 
Charlemont  and  the  early  history  of  the  town. 

Leaving  Charlemont,  the  road  crosses  a  solid, 
graceful  bridge  of  three  low  spans  and  starts  the  very 
winding  climb  up  the  east  slope  of  Florida  Mountain, 
often  known  as  Hoosac  Mountain. 

This  is  in  the  town  of  Florida  and  has  a  scattered 
population  of  428  people.  The  preliminary  work 
for  the  securing  of  a  highway  over  Florida  or  Hoosac 
Mountain  was  authorized  by  the  Legislature  in  1911, 
when  $75,000  was  made  available  for  surveys.  In 
1912,  the  Commission  reported  that  a  better  route 
had  been  discovered  than  over  the  old  road.  The 
route  followed  substantially  the  line  of  the  old 
Mohawk  Trail,  crossing  the  Deerfield  River  at  Cold 
River,  thence  following  Cold  River  to  Manning 
Brook,  thence  along  Manning  Brook  to  Drury  Brook, 
and  so  along  the  crest  of  the  mountain  to  the  summit 
at  Whitcomb  Hill.  The  sum  of  $75,000  more  was 
made  available  in  1912,  and  the  contract  for  the  road 
over  the  east  side  begun.  It  was  continued  in  1913. 
and  completed  in  1914.  At  times  there  were  300 
laborers  upon  the  work.  The  first  vehicles  passed 
over  the  road  the  Saturday  before  Labor  Day  of 
1911. 

*The  new  road  from  Deerfield  River  to  the  North 
Adams  line  is  about  twelve  miles  in  length  and  the 
cost  of  the  roadway  itself  was  $230,000.  It  is  con- 
structed at  a  minimum  width  of  twenty-two  feet,  and 
in  many  places  is  from  thirty  to  forty  feet.  Many  of 
the  slopes  are  protected  by  crib  work,  there  being 
1,200  feet  of  such  work  to  protect  the  road  from  land 

*  From    the    Reports   of   the    Massachusetts    Highway   Commission. 
15 


slides.  The  earth  excavated  was  hardpan  or  similar 
material,  which  was  very  difficult  to  handle  and  at 
one  point  there  was  a  cut  of  twenty-seven  feet  in 
solid  rock.  It  had  to  be  all  picked  or  blown  out  by 
dynamite.  There  are  some  290  culverts  and  small 
bridges,  about  seven  miles  of  guard  rail,  and  besides, 
two  concrete  bridges,  the  bridge  over  the  Deerfield 
River  costing  $34,000  and  the  one  over  Cold  River 
$13,000.  The  total  cost  of  the  entire  road  from  the 
Deerfield  River  bridge  to  the  top  of  the  mountain 
was  $275,000.  In  1913  the  building  of  the  road  from 
the  top  of  the  mountain  to  North  Adams  was  begun 
and  finished  the  same  day  as  the  road  on  the  east 
side,  the  Saturday  before  Labor  Day,  1914.  This 
road  is  four  miles  in  length  and  cost  about  $70,000. 

The  old  road  had  twenty  per  cent  grades  and  was 
narrow  and  dangerous.  The  steepest  grade  on  the 
Mohawk  Trail  is  seven  per  cent.  There  is  a  differ- 
ence in  height  of  1,600  feet  between  Deerfield  River 
and  Whitcomb's  Summit,  and  1,200  feet  from  the 
crest  of  the  hill  to  North  Adams. 

This  sixteen  miles  of  Mohawk  Trail  is  undoubtedly 
the  most  important  piece  of  highway  work  which  has 
been  done  in  the  New  England  States  in  many  years. 
The  work  on  the  east  side  was  in  charge  of  Division 
Engineer  H.  D.  Phillips,  and  that  on  the  west  side 
by  Division  Engineer  C.  H.  Howes. 

Repair  work  on  the  road  is  in  progress  all  the 
time,  being  done  by  the  State  Highway  Commission. 
In  addition  to  the  original  cost  of  $345,000  for  this 
sixteen  miles  of  Trail,  much  is  spent  each  year  to 
keep  it  in  good  condition. 

Previous  to  the  building  of  the  new  road  about 
thirty  vehicles  a  day  passed  over  it,  of  which  seven 
were  automobiles.  In  1915  there  was  an  average  of 
287  vehicles  a  day,  of  which  266  were  automobiles, 
the  number  being  much  greater  on  most  days.  On 
the  Sunday  before  Labor  Day  of  that  year,  3,268 

17 


automobiles  passed  over  the  road.  The  number  has 
increased  each  year. 

On  Memorial  Day,  1920,  over  400  automobiles  an 
hour  passed  over  the  Trail. 

The  Trail  follows  the  turbulent  little  Cold  River 
until  it  meets  the  Deerfield.  Soon  the  road  runs  into 
narrower  confines  and  we  find  ourselves  in  a  deep 
ravine  with  the  sweep  of  the  broad  road  ahead,  the 
river  at  our  feet  and  steep  mountainsides  on  either 
side.  Steadily  mounting  higher,  in  a  generous  curve, 
the  road  becomes  a  wide  shelf,  chiselled  out  of  solid 
rock.  The  river  drops  far  below.  The  mountain 
peaks  tower  above.  We  travel  thus  for  miles,  with  a 
big,  smooth  road  ahead  through  virgin  forest. 

Hawthorne,  who  was  always  delighted  in  drinking 
in  the  beauties  of  nature,  thus  describes  his  impres- 
sions of  the  natural  beauties  of  this  section  which  he 
visited  in  1838.  "Often  it  would  seem  a  wonder  how 
our  road  was  to  continue,  the  mountains  rose  so 
abruptly  on  either  side,  while  looking  behind  it  would 
be  an  equal  mystery  how  we  had  gotten  hither, 
through  the  huge  base  of  the  mountain,  which  seemed 
to  have  reared  itself  erect  after  our  passage.  Be- 
tween the  mountains  were  gorges  that  led  the  imagi- 
nation away  into  new  scenes  of  wildness.  I  have 
never  driven  through  such  romantic  scenery,  where 
there  was  such  a  variety  of  mountain  shapes  as  this, 
and  though  it  was  a  bright,  sunny  day,  the  mountain 
diversified  the  view  with  sunshine  and  shadow,  and 
glory  and  gloom." 

Hawthorne  could  have  written  no  more  vivid  de- 
scription of  the  scenic  beauties  of  the  Mohawk  Trail 
had  he  but  just  driven  over  its  magnificent  roadbed 
in  these  days  of  the  modern  automobile. 

Could  we  catch  the  pictures  of  all  those  who  have 
traversed  the  Old  Trail,  what  a  panorama  it  would 
make:  Indians  on  errands  of  peace  or  war  from  time 
immemorial ;  surveyors  and  land  speculators  with 

18 


covetous  eyes  in  the  rich  Berkshire  and  Hoosac 
Valley  river  lands ;  committees  of  the  General  Court 
to  lay  out  new  townships ;  Dutchmen  from  Rens- 
selaerwick  to  lay  hold  of  forbidden  territory ;  Lieu- 
tenant Catlin  to  build  Fort  Massachusetts,  Sergeant 
John  Hawks  and  Chaplain  Norton  to  defend  it;  Cap- 
tain Ephraim  Williams  to  see  that  his  men  in  the 
Fort  were  faithful  to  their  trust  and  by  such  visits 
to  be  moved  to  become  the  founder  of  one  of  the 
noblest  of  our  educational  institutions,  Williams  Col- 
lege; settlers  from  eastern  Massachusetts  and  Rhode 
Island  seeking  homes  in  the  wilderness;  Quakers 
from  the  east  bringing  their  peculiar  faith  and  prac- 
tices with  them  and  leaving  a  lasting  imprint  for 
good  upon  the  section ;  Benedict  Arnold,  then  the 
ideal  American  patriot,  riding  in  hot  haste  to  gather 
in  men  from  Deerfield,  Charlemont  and  Shelburne  to 
strike  a  blow  at  Ticonderoga,  at  the  very  beginning 
of  the  Revolution ;  couriers  from  General  Stark  at 
Bennington  telling  that  the  Hessians  were  approach- 
ing; a  wild  torrent  of  Berkshire  yeomanry  passing 
over  the  trail  to  fight  a  historic  battle  in  their  shirt 
sleeves  and  charge  intrenchments  defended  by  cannon 
with  only  shotguns  in  their  hands ;  a  few  days  later 
a  long  line  of  dejected  Red  Coats  guarded  by  these 
same  farmers  in  shirt  sleeves  and  on  their  way  to 
captivity  in  eastern  Massachusetts;  then  in  more 
settled  times,  wagons  laden  with  farm  produce,  and 
lime  and  iron  ore  and  lumber  and  other  crude  pro- 
ducts of  the  hills  and  valleys,  and  then  later  other 
wagons  bringing  in  bales  of  cotton  and  fleeces  of 
wool  to  be  turned  into  cloth  by  the  little  mills  on  the 
swift  flowing  streams  of  the  Trail;  and  still  later  the 
stagecoaches  bringing  students  to  the  College,  and 
Nathaniel  Hawthorne,  the  master  of  American  ro- 
mance, to  dwell  for  a  time  among  the  hills  and  tell 
of  beauties  before  unnoted ;  and  then  an  army  of 
miners  with  picks  and  shovels  who  pierced  the  moun- 
tain and  made  an  iron  trail  under  the  hills  over  which 

19 


c 
CD 


flows    the    commerce    from   states    never   dreamed   of 
when  Ephraim- Williams  first  crossed  the  Hoosacs. 

We  emerge  upon  a  broad  plateau  and  here  at  the 
left  rises  the  white  spire  of  an  old  church,  standing 
all  alone  on  the  mountain  top,  a  relic  of  the  past. 
but  still  the  weekly  meeting  place  of  those  who  cling 
to  the  heights  and  work  the  farms  in  this  elevated 
valley.  This  church  was  built  in  1861.  It  is  close 
communion  Baptist  in  faith.  The  present  pastor  is 
Rev.  Mr.  Caldwell,  who  has  been  there  six  years 
and  has  had  fifteen  unite  with  the  church. 

We  ride  along  the  very  edge  of  the  mountain  top. 
On  the  right  is  a  wonderful  prospect  of  range  upon 
range  until  the  vision  is  lost  in  the  delicate  mists  of 
the  White  Mountains  of  New  Hampshire.  We  pass 
over  the  Hoosac  Tunnel,  about  1,200  feet  below, 
where  electric  trains  are  thundering  through  the 
earth.  We  soon  come  to  Whitcomb's  Summit,  the 
highest  point  on  the  Trail,  which  is  named  for  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  the  town  of  Florida. 

The  view  from  the  top  of  the  mountain  is  extensive 
and  magnificent,  especially  on  a  clear  day.  To  the 
west,  northwest  and  southwest  one  may  see  the  en- 
tire expanse  of  the  Berkshires  with  Mount  Greylock 
always  prominent  in  the  foreground;  the  blue  tops 
of  the  Catskills,  100  miles  away,  and  the  Green 
Mountains  of  Vermont  across  the  open  valley. 

"We  are  on  the  very  summit  of  Hoosac.  Straight 
away  the  mountain  drops  before  us.  The  checkered 
fields  of  fertile  bottom  land,  intersected  by  little  white 
ribbons  of  roads,  with  here  and  there  a  toy  house 
and  the  glint  of  river  and  pond,  stretch  out  to  the 
north,  south  and  west.  In  the  very  center  of  the 
picture  nestles  the  city  of  North  Adams,  with  its 
roofs  and  spires  and  tall  chimneys  reddening  in  the 
sun.  In  the  background  against  a  glorious  sky,  rise 
the  mountains  again,  dominated  by  old  Greylock,  the 
highest  peak  in  Massachusetts,  3,500  feet,  and  said 

21 


by  geologists  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  points  of  lands 
on  the  earth." 

Mountain  roads,  that  are  kept  in  good  condition, 
enable  the  sightseer  to  visit  the  top  of  this  mountain, 
where  on  a  clear  day  the  eye  may  rove  over  portions 
of  five  states. 

Hairpin  Bend  is  considered  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting features  of  the  marvelously  constructed  road. 
When  ascending  this  grade  at  this  sharp  curve,  tour- 
ists test  the  power  of  their  automobiles,  and  many 
succeed  in  making  it  in  high  gear.  We  descend  into 

NORTH  ADAMS 

4  Miles  from  the  Trail  Summit 

by  three  long  inclines  hewn  out  of  the  mountain  side, 
with  new  vistas  of  beauty  at  each  turn.  This  high- 
way dropping  as  it  does,  down  into  the  beautiful 
scenic  city  of  North  Adams,  has  been  named  the 
Mohawk  Trail  by  the  citizens  of  this  industrial  com- 
munity, since  the  highway  follows  very  nearly  the 
trail  that  years  ago  was  traversed  by  the  Indians  in 
passing  from  the  eastern  to  the  western  sections  of 
our  country.  The  old  trail  really  took  its  name  from 
the  strongest  of  the  Five  Nations  of  the  Iroquois 
Federation,  and  became  known  back  in  our  early 
history  as  the  Mohawk  Trail. 

North  Adams  is  situated  at  the  head  of  the  valley 
leading  south  through  the  Berkshire  country  and  of 
another  leading  westward  into  New  York.  Thus  it 
was  a  strategic  point  in  the  early  days  and  the  citi- 
zens of  this  city  have  as  their  motto,  "We  hold  the 
Western  Gateway." 

Settlers  began  to  arrive  in  East  Hoosac,  now 
Adams  and  North  Adams,  just  before  the  Revolu- 
tion. Most  of  these  came  from  Connecticut  and 
Rhode  Island.  They  were  of  good  stock,  hardy  and 
full  of  courage.  A  Quaker  colony  settled  in  Adams. 

22 


North  Adams  was  the  meeting  point  of  the  three 
nations  which  had  the  largest  part  in  the  coloniza- 
tion of  America.  Here  the  patient  Dutch,  the  per- 
sistent English,  and  the  fearless  French  vied  for  its 
possession. 

North  Adams  is  an  industrial  city  of  the  modern 
type  with  a  population  exceeding  25,000.  It  has 
extensive  manufactories  of  woollen,  worsted  and 
cotton  goods,  famous  print  works,  shoe  factories  and 
machine  shops.  It  has  an  excellent  school  system  and 
on  the  left,  before  entering  the  main  part  of  the  city, 
is  the  State  Normal  School.  We  enter  North  Adams 
on  Union  Street,  turn  left  on  Eagle  Street,  then  at 
red  brick  church  turn  right  into  Main  Street  and  the 
business  section  of  the  city.  City  Hall  is  on  the  left. 
Follow  the  trolley  to  Williamstown.  The  city  has  his- 
torical rooms,  open  from  two  to  five  o'clock  on  Satur- 
days. Six  miles  south  of  North  Adams  at  Adams 
was  the  home  of  Susan  B.  Anthony. 

Following  the  Trail  out  of  North  Adams,  we  pass 
the  site  of  Fort  Massachusetts  and  remember  that 
once  this  now  peaceful  meadow  was  the  scene  of 
fierce  strife  between  the  three  nations.  The  story 
of  this  fort  is  one  of  the  most  important  and  roman- 
tic in  the  history  made  along  the  Trail  in  the  eight- 
eenth century.  Fort  Massachusetts  was  the  western- 
most of  the  chain  of  four  forts  for  the  defense  of 
the  frontiers  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony.  It 
was  built  for  a  threefold  purpose,  to  defend  the  Col- 
ony from  the  French  and  Indians,  to  warn  the  Dutch 
of  New  York  against  encroachments  on  the  frontier 
and  to  tell  the  people  of  the  New  Hampshire  grants 
that  they  must  keep  within  bounds.  It  was  built  in 
IT!-;).  The  next  year  the  fort  and  garrison  was  at- 
tacked by  French  and  Indian  allies  and  burned,  the 
soldiers  being  taken  as  prisoners  to  Canada.  The 
site  of  the  fort  is  one  and  one-half  miles  west  of 
the  city  on  the  right,  and  marked  by  a  graceful  elm. 


Leaving  North  Adams,  a  short  ride  of  five  miles 
brings  us  to  the  celebrated  town  of 

WILLIAMSTOWN 

13  Miles  from   the  Trail  Summit 

Williamstown  is  situated  in  a  beautiful  valley  with 
the  Hoosac  Mountains  on  the  east,  the  Greylock 
range  on  the  south,  the  Taconics  on  the  west,  and  the 
Green  Mountains  on  the  north. 

\Villiamstown  and  Williams  College  both  derive 
their  names  from  Colonel  Ephraim  Williams,  who 
was  commander  of  Fort  Massachusetts  and  the 
founder  of  Williams  College.  In  his  will  he  appro- 
priated certain  lands  to  be  sold  and  the  money  used 
"towards  the  support  and  maintenance  of  a  free 
school  (in  a  township  west  of  Fort  Massachusetts 
commonly  called  the  West  Township)  forever,  pro- 
vided the  said  township  fall  within  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  province  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  and  pro- 
vided also  that  the  Governor  and  General  Court  give 
the  said  township  the  name  of  W7illiamstown." 

The  town  was  incorporated  under  this  name  in 
1765.  Previous  to  that  time  it  had  been  known  as 
West  Hoosac. 

The  main  street  of  the  town  is  fifteen  rods  wide, 
adorned  by  beautiful  lawns  and  shade  trees.  About 
the  year  1874,  Cyrus  W.  Field  presented  the  town 
with  the  sum  of  $5,000  to  be  used  in  grading  and 
beautifying  the  streets. 

The  college  comprises  a  large  part  of  the  village 
and  is  situated  on  either  side  of  its  Main  Street. 
The  value  of  the  property,  including  its  endowments, 
amounts  to  about  $3,000,000.  The  college  is  non- 
sectarian  and  has  an  enrollment  at  the  present  time 
of  about  500  students. 

One  can  profitably  spend  hours  visiting  these 
buildings,  many  of  which  are  historical.  Some  of  the 


buildings  of  the  college  campus  of  special  interest 
are:  Thompson  Memorial  Chapel,  of  great  architec- 
tural beauty ;  within  this  chapel  are  exquisite  memo- 
rial windows,  one  to  the  memory  of  a  former  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  James  A.  Garfield;  Hop- 
kins Hall  is  the  administration  building  and  was 
erected  in  memory  of  a  former  president,  Mark  Hop- 
kins ;  Grace  Hall  contains  one  of  the  finest  organs  in 
the  country,  and  is  where  the  commencement  exercises 
are  held.  Just  back  of  Grace  Hall,  in  Mission  Park, 
is  Haystack  Monument,  which  marks  the  birthplace 
of  foreign  missions.  Here,  in  1811,  a  few  of  the 
Williams  College  students  gathered  about  a  haystack 
and  held  a  prayer  meeting.  Each  agreed  to  give  his 
life  to  preaching  to  the  heathen.  Out  of  this  gather- 
ing developed  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners 
of  Foreign  Missions. 

Many  objects  of  interest  may  be  seen  at  the  Col- 
lege Library  and  at  the  Geological  Museum.  Sigma 
Phi  fraternity  house  is  built  of  the  material  from 
the  former  Van  Rensselaer  house  of  Albany.  Grey- 
lock  Hotel  was  built  in  1870.  This  was  the  site  of 
the  first  inn,  built  in  1780. 

Harry  A.  Garfield,  son  of  former  President  James 
A.  Garfield,  is  now  president  of  Williams  College. 
His  residence  is  on  the  north  side  of  Main  Street, 
beyond  the  church. 

Williamstown  lies  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. Bennington,  Vermont,  the  scene  of  the 
early  battles  of  the  Revolution,  is  situated  fourteen 
miles  to  the  north. 

Continuing  westward  from  Williamstown  we  follow 
the  old  Mohawk  Trail  until  from  a  high  point  we 
gain  a  glorious  view  of  the  Hudson,  the  home  of  the 
Mohawk  tribe  of  Indians. 


27 


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